Gone
by RavensFirefly
Summary: Naraku finally succeeds in getting to Sango through her little brother. Now, with the pressure of collecting the Shikon no kakera increasing with every passing day, they need Sango more than ever. But, why is Inuyasha the only one who can help? -Completed
1. Gone

AN: Inuyasha does not belong to me in any ways, shape, or form.

~*~

It was something that no one should have to witness…Something that no one deserves to see. Yet she had seen it once already. It wasn't fair…it was wrong…It shouldn't have happened again…yet here she was, living through that very same thing again.

The young warrior sat on the ground, cradling the lifeless body in her arms. Warm, salty tears flowed freely from her eyes, falling onto the unmoving boy that was clutched to her. One word kept escaping her lips between sobs and gasps of breath, "…Kohaku…"

Not far away, five additional sets of eyes watched as Sango held her little brother.

Dark violet eyes filled with concern and sadness closed after a moment as Miroku said a silent prayer.

Childish green eyes were wide with shock as Shippou clutched tightly onto one of his human companions' legs.

Blue-gray eyes, usually filled with joy and laughter, were now filled with tears as Kagome covered her mouth with a hand.

Large crimson eyes watched the two warriors, as Kirara cautiously crept forward to sit beside her mistress.

And finally, golden eyes were locked on the two as Inuyasha watched. His face, as usual, was masked, showing no emotion. But his eyes betrayed him, should anyone care to look hard enough. His golden eyes held sadness and even a little understanding within their depths. Though he knew what Sango was going through for the most part, he couldn't compare with this. Yes, Kikyou had been killed by Naraku, but the hanyou hadn't been there to witness her death. No, he had arrived afterwards but it hurt all the same.

Naraku had grown bolder, more confident. He had let them find him. The bastard had even gone so far as to toy with them before revealing his true intentions. He called Kohaku forward, and instantly, all eyes fell on Sango.

The taijiya had saddened and loosened up for a moment. But just as quickly, she was ready for battle again. Sango had known this day would come. But even so, nothing could've prepared her for what would happen…

The blank brown eyes stared straight at Sango as Kohaku lifted the sickle-like weapon high above his head.

Sango's eyes narrowed slightly as she brought her hand back, ready to use hiraikotsu is need be. Behind her exterminator's mask, her teeth clenched together, as she prepared to make her move; the hardest move she would ever have to make.

But this is where Naraku stepped in once again. His red eyes began to glow an even darker shade of red. And no one realized what he was doing until it was too late. Kohaku's other hand rose, until he held his weapon with both hands. Turning it slightly, so the blade was facing him, the boy brought the blade down. For a brief moment, all was still. And the only sound heard was the sickening sound of flesh and muscle being severed as Kohaku drove the blade into his own back.

"Kohaku!!" Sango yelled, throwing her exterminators mask to the ground, forgetting that this could very well be a trap. "Kohaku, stop it!!"

But the boy didn't even respond to Sango's voice. His body was reacting to the pain, though his mind was blocking it out. That was evident because he fell to his knees as the crimson life began to drip down his back from the self-inflicted wound. Yet his face showed no sign of pain. Kohaku suddenly gave a slight flick of his wrist, and a small sliver of purple crystal flew out of his back, landing a foot or so behind him. Instantly, his face twisted into a look of absolute horror and pain as he cried out before falling forward.

Sango was by his side in a flash, lifting the smaller boy into her lap and holding him tightly, whispering words that no one could make out. 

The jewel shard was quickly forgotten as the others tried recovering from the sight they had just seen. But not everyone forgot about the shard. A single saimyoushou picked it up and returned it to Naraku's waiting hand. Without waiting for anything more, Naraku disappeared into a cloud of shouki.

"A…Ane-ue…" Came Kohaku's shaky and whispered voice. 

Sango looked down at Kohaku's face, trying her best to blink back the tears though it didn't do any good, "Kohaku…"

A few tears slid down Kohaku's face as he looked up at his sister, "M-make it…stop…Ane-ue…I'm s-scared…"

The girl exterminator began to cry freely there. She leaned down, burying her face in Kohaku's neck as she tightened her hold on him, "I'm sorry…Kohaku. I'm so sorry…He won't hurt you anymore. He's not going to hurt you anymore…Kohaku."

But he didn't hear a word she said…His body was limp in her arms, and her cries went unheard by the one that was so dear to her…

~*~

AN: o.O;; Okay, I have NO idea what possessed me to write this. But uh…it'll get better promise! So, please review ^-^;;


	2. Tips

AN: Nope, dream as I might, Inuyasha does not belong to me in any way, shape, or form.

~*~

"All right then. Thank you. Good luck with the cleanup of your village. Goodbye." With a short wave, Miroku left the village chief to rejoin the others. 

"So, what happened?" Inuyasha asked, once the monk had returned. 

Miroku sighed as he closed his eyes briefly, recalling everything that had been said. "The village was housing a shard of the jewel. Unfortunately, a demon attacked and stole it. The description seems to match that of Kagura, but I have to say, its unlike her to leave the villagers alive."

"Maybe Naraku doesn't want us to find him right now." Kagome suggested. "He knows we're going to be picking up the search again. And he's probably figured out that we're going to try even harder than before now that…well…" The young miko trailed off, as she glanced over to Sango. The taijiya was currently leaning against a tree, staring off at nothing. Kirara was perched on her shoulder, nuzzling Sango's face slightly. That's how things had been for the past couple of weeks; ever since Kohaku was killed in front of Sango's eyes. The exterminator hadn't said much. About the only time she spoke was when she offered to do the usual search of the campsite area to make sure no demons were lurking around. Other than that, she hardly spoke.

"That bastard is just a coward! He can't just come out and challenge us, he has to play these games and get inside our heads." Inuyasha mumbled, crossing his arms. 

Kagome nodded slowly, then looked back to Sango, "Sango-chan? Its still early in the afternoon, we can make it further before nightfall. Or we can stay here tonight. What would you rather do?"

"We should…keep going." Came Sango's quiet reply. The taijiya stepped away from the tree and began walking down the path, "This was done within the last few hours. There's a chance we could still find Kagura." She added, voice remaining low.

Kagome ran forward until she was beside Sango. There, she slowed to a walk, "Okay. Maybe we could find a hot spring. That would be nice, wouldn't it?" She asked looking at her friend. The taijiya only nodded.

Shippou ran ahead and leapt onto Kagome's shoulder. There, he stayed quiet, much like how Kirara was on Sango's shoulder.

Inuyasha and Miroku let the two girls stay ahead of them, but were sure to keep them in sight. After all, if anyone could get Sango to talk again, it was Kagome. At least, that's what they figured. 

"Oi Miroku. How long do you think we'll have to put up with this?" Inuyasha asked, glancing over at the monk.

"Until we kill Naraku once and for all." Miroku replied. 

The hanyou stopped for a moment, then shook his head and began walking once again, "But we don't even know how long that'll be! She can't stay like that. She'll end up getting herself killed by a demon or something."

"You can't blame her, Inuyasha. The only family Sango had left is gone. And, much like her fellow exterminators, Kohaku was killed in front of her eyes." Miroku stated, with a slight nod.

"Keh!" Was Inuyasha's response, "You humans are so emotional. I grew up without my family most of my life. Its not that bad."

Miroku sighed and shook his head a little, "Inuyasha, what you went through and what Sango is going through are two entirely different things. But…" He turned his head slightly to look at the hanyou, "If you think you know what she's going through, try talking to her."

"What? Talk to her?" Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow, "About what?"

"You said it wasn't so bad. So, talk to her about it. Comfort her, if you will." Miroku replied, looking ahead at the two young women again. 

"C-comfort?" The hanyou asked. Then, looking forward, stuffing his arms into his sleeves, he mumbled, "Whatever…" Both he and Miroku fell into silence as they followed Kagome and Sango. But even though he didn't say anything, his mind was racing with thoughts. _'So maybe its not the same thing. But its pretty damn close. Kohaku…Kikyou…Naraku turned them both against us. And now…they're both dead and Naraku's probably laughing.' _Looking up slightly, his eyes fell on Sango. _'Don't worry Sango, we'll make that bastard pay for what he's done.'_

~*~

AN: So, how's it going so far? As always, please review ^-^


	3. Comfort

AN: Nope, Inuyasha does not belong to me in any way, shape or form.

~*~

"Talk to her Inuyasha. Comfort her Inuyasha. You say you know what she's going through. Keh!" Inuyasha spat, crossing his arms as he stood up and went to find the demon slayer. "Damn monk. I make one little comment and automatically I have to be the one to talk to Sango. Jeez…" He mumbled, though in reality, it didn't really bother him. 

Night had fallen, and the group had settled down for the night. As usual, Sango had volunteered to make sure no demons were around. And nobody argued with her. The now-temporarily-human-hanyou walked into the forest, in the direction he had seen Sango go a few moments earlier. And it didn't take too long to find her either. She was sitting on the lake-shore with her knees pulled up to her chest, just staring out at the waters surface.

"What do you want, Inuyasha?" Sango asked suddenly, her voice low and calm.

Inuyasha paused before continuing forward and sitting beside her, "How'd you know it was me?"

"You always leave the group on this night." She replied, pointing up to the night sky, "New moon, you turn human, right?"

Inuyasha nodded slightly, "Yeah…it's the drawback of being a hanyou. Heh, you looked really confused the first time it happened after you joined us."

"Yeah, I remember." Was Sango's only response. 

Inuyasha sighed and looked at the water for a moment. Finally, after a moment of silence he turned back to the taijiya, "Sango, you can't go on like this. You're going to get yourself killed if you do."

She wrapped her arms around her legs and sighed, "It doesn't matter anymore…if I live…if I die…"

He blinked, then looked down slightly, trying to decide if she really meant what she had just said, "Sango…what do you mean 'it doesn't matter'? Of course it matters!"

"To who?" She asked, turning to look at Inuyasha. "Naraku has taken everyone away from me. I won't be missed."

"Don't be stupid, Sango!" He said, sharper than he had intended, "Of course you'd be missed! What about us? Kagome, Miroku, Shippou? We'd all miss you."

The taijiya didn't respond for a while. Finally, she gave a quick flick of her wrist, causing the blade concealed under her armor to reveal itself. She brought her arm closer to her face and just looked at the blade for a few seconds before speaking, "Inuyasha? Remember when you stopped me from killing Kohaku and then myself?"

The human-hanyou nodded slowly, glancing at the blade and then back to Sango's face.

"You said that I didn't need to do that, because there was still hope for Kohaku." She slowly turned her head and looked at Inuyasha, "Would you stop me again?"

"What?! Of course I would!" Inuyasha responded, surprised that she would actually say something like that. "You can't just give up on life! If you do that, then Naraku will win. We'll get him, Sango!"

"And what then? Go back to my village, where I'll die alone anyways? Watch as my only friends left walk away from me forever? What's the point? Either way, I lose. Naraku has already won." Sango said, looking down once again.

Inuyasha frowned, narrowing his human-colored eyes, "You know what? Yeah, he _has_ won. But its only because of you. Naraku would love to see you like this, because this is just what he wanted." He shook his head slightly, his tone becoming angrier with every word, "I was wrong about you, Sango. I always thought you were a great fighter. But I was wrong. You're not a fighter. If you were, you'd be wanting to find Naraku and kill him, not yourself. But if you want to think that way, that's your choice. The rest of us are leaving first thing in the morning whether you're there or not." That said, he stood up.

He was planning on returning to the campsite, but Sango stopped him. She suddenly grabbed a hold of the sleeve of his haori. "Inuyasha wait…don't go."

"I've already said what I thought and I'm not going to apologize for it. Like I said, we're leaving in the morning, whether you decide to come with us or not." He said, not looking at her.

"I…I wasn't going to ask you to change your mind about either of those things…" She replied, tightening her hold on his sleeve, "I don't…want you to leave." The taijiya shook her head slightly and clutched onto his arm as if it were a lifeline of sorts, "Don't leave me alone…I'm scared to be alone, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked down at her, surprised. He had never seen her acting like this. Her voice was shaky, and even though she was only holding onto his arm, he could feel her trembling. The human-hanyou instantly regretted everything he had said. "Sango…" He sat down again, though the taijiya continued to hold onto him. "Calm down…I'll stay here with you."

More silence passed as Sango continued to clutch onto Inuyasha. And finally, she spoke, "Inuyasha…sorry…I didn't mean that…I don't know why I said it…Its just…its so hard! Everyone I knew and loved is dead…"

As she spoke, the human-hanyou felt an unfamiliar and unexpected ache in his chest…especially at her last statement. But he quickly shook it off as he looked down at Sango, remaining quiet. 

"Once the Shikon no Tama is completed, everyone gets what they wants and leaves happy; Kagome-chan gets to go back to her country and stay there, Houshi-sama will find himself a wife, Shippou will probably stay with Kaede-sama, you'll become a full demon…And I…I'll be left alone…" The taijiya said, whispering the last part, as she tightened her hold on Inuyasha's arm, burying her face in the sleeve of his haori. 

"Alone?" Inuyasha blinked as he struggled to pull his arm away from her grip. He then put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her face, "Sango, you're not going to be alone! Kirara will always be with you…And we're not going to leave you alone. Why would you think that?" 

Sango looked at him, trying her best not to cry. She shook her head as her gaze turned downwards, "I don't know…but isn't it true? Kagome-chan will leave. And, unless she takes the Jewel with her, she'll never be able to come back. With no curse to bind him, there's no telling what Houshi-sama will do. And unless I stay around Kaede-sama's village to exterminate any demons, I won't be able to see her or Shippou." She paused and drew in a shaky breath as she slowly looked back up to Inuyasha, "And…and you…Inuyasha, if you become a full demon, will you remember me? Whenever you transform, you don't seem to remember anyone. Will it be that way if you use the Jewel to become a demon?"

"I…Well I…" Was all the human-hanyou could say. He wanted to say no, that he'd always remember her as well as the others. But he couldn't truthfully say it…Sighing, he closed his eyes for a moment, "Sango…I can't say what will happen once Naraku is defeated and the Jewel is finished. But will you stop and listen to yourself? Come on Sango, we can sort out everything once we kill Naraku once and for all. What he did to Kohaku was wrong. You're not going to let him get away with that, are you? You're not going to let Kohaku's death go unnoticed, are you?"

"Of course not! How could you think I'd do that?!" Sango shouted, letting go of Inuyasha and turning around so her back was to him.

Inuyasha blinked. She hadn't spoken that loudly since Kohaku had died. It surprised him, but at the same time…he was glad. "Sango, of course I don't think that. But you sounded like you were giving up."

The taijiya shook her head, "You're right…that's what it sounded like…but that's not what I'm doing, Inuyasha. I'll never give up…not when it comes to Kohaku. I'll never forgive Naraku for what he did to him…It was his first extermination…he was scared, but I told him everything would be okay…I was so stupid…"

He looked at her, not saying anything for a few minutes. He didn't know why, but at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to hold her and tell her everything would be alright. He would never openly tell anyone, but he admired the exterminator. She was strong, stronger than most humans he had met. And what she lacked in strength, she made up for in determination. Shaking his head slightly, Inuyasha snapped back to reality and looked up at Sango, "How could you have known what would happen? You were only assuring him. Its not your fault." The human-hanyou said softly, as he reached out and put his hands on the taijiya's shoulders. 

Sango jumped slightly. She hadn't expected him to do that. Miroku, she would've expected something like that from…but Inuyasha? Not that she minded though… "Maybe I wasn't the one who shot him with those arrows…But I should've seen it before. The spider web…The way the castle lord was enjoying our fighting…I should've realized he was a demon…I could've killed him before anything happened…"

"Stop…don't do this." Inuyasha said, as he pulled her back against him. He felt her tense, but when he put his arms around her shoulders, she relaxed again. "Stop blaming yourself. If you would've tried killing him, his guards would've killed you."

Sango sighed and unconsciously leaned back against Inuyasha, "At least I might've been able to save Kohaku… Maybe saved him from Naraku."

Inuyasha tightened his hold on her slightly, "Don't worry. We'll get him. We'll get Naraku and make him pay for what he's done. I swear, even if it's the last thing I do, I'll make sure he pays."

The taijiya only nodded, as she closed her eyes. For the first time since everything had happened, she felt…warm. She felt safe, with Inuyasha there. And his words, though she had heard them before, brought comfort. 

Minutes passed and neither warrior said anything. "Go ahead and sleep, Sango…I'll make sure nothing happens to anyone tonight." The human-hanyou said quietly, finally breaking the silence.

Once again, Sango nodded. She was already falling asleep anyways. "Don't leave…" She mumbled, wanting to make sure he knew she wanted him to stay with her. 

"I won't…I won't leave you alone." He assured her. Then, with a slight smile, he added to himself, _'You'll never be alone…I'll always be with you.'_

~*~

AN: Awww…. ^-^ Stay tuned for the next chapter.


	4. Hidden Feelings

Warmth…it was the first thing Sango noticed as her mind began to shake off the grogginess as she woke up. The taijiya nuzzled closer to the source of warmth, fighting to return to sleep instead of waking to reality. It had been the first time she had slept peacefully. She hadn't been plagued by nightmares and she wasn't ready for reality; the only nightmare she couldn't escape by waking up.

Finally, after a few minutes, she gave up on sleep. Sighing, the taijiya opened her eyes. But when she tried to pull away, strong arms pulled her back again. Sango blinked, confused, and turned her head slightly. She was met with the sight of a black-haired person wearing a red fire-rat coat. It wasn't until her mind fully awoke, that she realized it was Inuyasha, still in his human form. The human-hanyou looked…peaceful. And Sango couldn't help but stare at his face. The taijiya had never been so close to him while he was in this form. He usually went off to be alone…but last night…he had stayed with her.

Even when he opened his eyes, she didn't look away. _'Human colored…'_ Sango mused mentally. She was so used to seeing the golden eyes, that seeing them any other color was just…different.

"Sango?"

His voice finally snapped her back to reality, and she shook her head a little, "What?"

"Are you…okay?" Inuyasha asked quietly, "You were acting strange…"

Sango blinked, then nodded slowly, "I'm fine. I was just…thinking. I forgot where I was, that's all."

That seemed to satisfy the human-hanyou. He nodded, then released her and stretched his arms above his head. "So…sleep good?"

The taijiya once again nodded as she moved away from him slightly. "Yeah. Thanks…for staying with me. And…and I'm sorry. I didn't mean all that stuff I said. I was just…"

Inuyasha cut her off by waving his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Sango. Its hard, going through all that. I know…Besides, we all could use a little comforting now and then." He stopped suddenly and blinked. _'Did I just say comforting?' _

"Inuyasha? How long do you stay like that? Human, I mean." Sango asked, looking at him curiously.

The human-hanyou was glad for the change in subject, "Until the sun rises. Which should be right about…now."

And sure enough, the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. The first few rays casting light upon the otherwise shadowy forest. The demon blood once again began to circulate through Inuyasha' s veins as his demonic presence grew stronger as he transformed back to his hanyou form. His hair lightened until it was back to its silvery color. The human ears disappeared as the furry, dog-like ears appeared. His fingernails grew, until they were once again the deadly weapons he had used long before Tetsusaiga was given to him. And finally, his eyes. Those human eyes that Sango had been admiring moments earlier lightened, returning to their normal golden-amber color.

The now-normal-hanyou held up a hand and flexed his claws, "Morning can never come to soon on nights like that. I can always breathe a little easier once that sunlight hits me." 

"We can all breathe easier once that happens." Sango said, reminding him that everyone was on edge when he was in his human form. If word got out that the night of the new moon was the night he changed…put simply, it would be bad.

Inuyasha smirked as he looked over at her, "So you all rely on me, do you? What's the matter, Sango? Afraid you're loosing your touch as an exterminator?"

"I didn't say that!" Sango retorted, as she stood up.

"Oh yeah?" He questioned arrogantly, standing up as well. "You said it yourself, you can all rest easier once I'm back to my hanyou form. You guys wouldn't know what to do without me."

The taijiya looked at him silently for a moment, before poking him in the chest with a finger, "I can beat you any where, any time, Inuyasha. I was slaying cocky demons like you, long before I ever met you. And don't forget that."

He suddenly grabbed her hand, and looked straight into her eyes, "I _do_ know that. But you seem to be forgetting that you would've bled to death when we first met, if not for me."

She stared straight back, not backing down, "Actually, if you had just told me I was bleeding so much, I wouldn't have come so close to bleeding to death. But no, you had to show off and fight a professional demon exterminator."

"S…show off? I wasn't showing off! You would've killed me, even if I _did _try telling you that you were already severely wounded before we fought." He said.

She had him, and she knew it, "I would've killed you? Sounds like I can hold my own against even you, Inuyasha."

The hanyou started to say something, but then fell silent. "Damn you…" He muttered, looking away from her.

Silence passed, as both warriors were quiet. 

Until finally, Sango broke that silence, "A-ano…"

Inuyasha turned to look at her again, only to see she wasn't looking at him. So, he followed her gaze down to his hand, which still held onto hers.

More silence…The wind blew through the trees, sending several leaves into the air, but they were still unmoving.

He brought both their hands up, until they were about chest level. There, he loosened his hold on her and pressed his palm against hers, his clawed fingers meeting with her normal ones. 

She didn't move her hand. Instead, she mimicked his actions and let her hand press against his. 

He continued looking at their hands for a moment. Finally, he moved his gaze to her face, as his fingers slowly intertwined with hers. 

She seemed to hesitate a few seconds, or maybe she was just surprised by his actions. Either way, her fingers finally tightened around his own. When she turned from their joined hands to look at his face, a light pinkish color decorated her cheeks. And, for the first time since everything had happened, she smiled. It was a small smile, but a smile nonetheless.

The hanyou couldn't help but smile at that. It seemed everything had gone wrong for Sango lately. And, despite everyone's attempts, nothing could cheer her up. But here he was looking at her smiling, and blushing, face. How…How could he have missed it before? They had been traveling partners for a while now, and yet, it seemed he was just now realizing something…Or actually, feeling something…Feeling something he hadn't felt since Kikyou had been taken from him.

Neither knew how much time had passed. But neither cared either. Their hands were still joined. And the golden eyes still looked intently into the brown ones. 

"Sango…" Inuyasha was the one to break the silence this time as he spoke her name. It had come out as a whisper though, and he feared the wind had carried it away without her hearing. 

But, most likely due to their closeness, she had heard him, "Hai?" She replied, though her voice was just as quiet as his.

He took a breath and was about to say something…

"Sango-chan? Inuyasha?"

"Where are you two?"

Kagome and Miroku's voice rang though the otherwise quiet forest. 

Sango blinked and looked away from Inuyasha, "Kagome-chan and Houshi-sama…They're probably worried…We should go."

Inuyasha looked in the direction of the voices and slowly nodded. He hesitantly and regretfully let go of her hand, "Let's go then…" He said, beginning to walk towards their two companions.

She pulled her hand back and held it close to her. Silently, she followed after him. Why…Why was she feeling like this? Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest, it was beating so fast. And she was sure her face was still flushed. But…they had only held hands. He was…he was just comforting her…right? But…what had he started to say? Her gaze lifted slowly, until she was looking at the back of him. _'Inuyasha…what were you going to say?'_

~*~

AN: ^-^ Okay, I have no idea why, but I've been doing these 'hand scenes' as I like to call them. Don't believe me? Check out my other fic 'To Be With You', and you'll see. Ok, maybe its not quite like this one, but she does wrap his hands, and that's one of my favorite parts of that story. Its another Inu/San story, by the way. Anyways, I'm out for now, but I'll be back soon with the next chapter. Ja!


	5. Seperate Talks

"There you are! Miroku-sama and I were worried about you!" Kagome said, running to meet Inuyasha and Sango, "We thought you two had been attacked or something."

Inuyasha just shook his head, "No. I just lost track of time."

"Lost track of time? On the night of the new moon?" Kagome asked, "How can you just loose track of time? You were gone _all_ night. You could've--"

"Look, I know I should be more careful. Especially on that night. But we all mess up sometimes. I just lost track of time. Leave it at that." Inuyasha said, pushing past the young miko and jumping into a nearby tree.

Kagome watched him, a confused expression written across her face. "O…k…" She then turned to look at Sango, who seemed to be lost in her own world at the moment, "Sango-chan?"

No response from the taijiya. 

"Sango-chan?" Kagome asked again, a little louder this time. 

And this time, she heard. Sango looked up, blinking, "Huh?"

The miko walked closer to her friend and spoke so only they could hear, "What happened with you and Inuyasha last night? He seems…out of it…"

Sango bit her lip and looked towards the hanyou for a moment, _'I don't think it had anything to do with last night…I think it was what happened this morning…'_ The taijiya shook her head a bit, turning back to Kagome, "I don't…know? Nothing happened last night. He just talked to me. I ended up falling asleep, and…and he stayed with me."

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha was definitely acting differently and she wanted to know why.

The taijiya nodded, "I'm sure, Kagome-chan."

Kagome nodded this time, "Okay then…I guess Inuyasha will be fine in a while. Maybe he just needs some sleep…Ano…Sango-chan? Are you feeling better?" 

"Hai." Sango replied with a slight smile, "I'm okay…Well, as okay as I can get, I guess…But, Inuyasha really helped me. He listened to me…I guess that's all I needed…"

Kagome smiled hearing that, "That's great, Sango-chan! Now, if only Inuyasha would start acting normal…" 

"I _am _normal!" Inuyasha shouted, from his place in the tree.

Both girls turned to look at the hanyou. His hearing really was good…Kagome coughed, "Sorry Inuyasha…" Then, turning back to Sango, she added, "So, we should go back to the campsite now. Miroku-sama and I left Shippou-chan with Kirara, but I don't want him to wake up and be scared since we're all gone. Besides, I'm sure the boys would like it if we could get breakfast cooked."

The taijiya turned from Inuyasha to Kagome, "Hai, I think we should go back too. For both of those reasons."

"Okay. Inuyasha! Miroku-sama! Me and Sango-chan are going to go back to Shippou-chan and Kirara and start cooking breakfast. Okay?" Kagome called over to the hanyou and monk. 

"Keh!" Was Inuyasha's only response.

"I think what Inuyasha is trying to say is: that would be fine, Kagome-sama." Miroku replied, flashing a smile to the two girls. 

And once Kagome and Sango had gone, the monk turned and looked up at Inuyasha, "Now that they're gone, would you mind explaining what happened last night?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms and remained where he was, "You were the one who told me to go talk to Sango. And that's what I did. We talked."

But Miroku wasn't convinced, "And a talk lasted all night? Hmm…Let me rephrase my question, Inuyasha. Would you tell me what really happened?"

The hanyou glared down at him, then jumped down from the tree and stood in front of him, "And just _what _is that supposed to mean? _You_ were the one who told me I should talk to her! _You_ were the one who said to comfort her!"

"And did you?" Miroku questioned.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, "Did I what?"

"Comfort her." Miroku replied, with a serious look on his face.

"I…Mmm…Keh! What if I did?" Inuyasha stammered, turning his back to Miroku. 

The monk sighed and shook his head slightly, "Inuyasha, whether you want to admit it or not, something happened. I don't know what that was. Kagome-sama doesn't know what it was. Only you and Sango know. And whatever happened, its gotten her back to herself, somewhat, and its gotten you…" He trailed off.

That hanyou glanced over his shoulder, his curiosity getting the better of him, "Its gotten me…what?"

Miroku was quiet for a moment, seemingly thinking about his answer, "Its gotten you upset."

"Up…set?" Inuyasha repeated the word slowly. He then turned to face Miroku once again, "Upset? I am not upset! Why would I be? I'm just…I'm just…Shit, I'm just…I don't know…" His shoulders slumped a bit as he leaned back against the tree he had been sitting in moments before. "Last night…Sango and I talked. We _just _talked. She fell asleep so I stayed with her. If you would've heard some of the things she said, you would've stayed too."

Miroku nodded slightly, "I'm sure I would've, Inuyasha. I'm sure I would've." He closed his eyes as a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "So, if that's all that happened, why are you acting like this?"

Golden eyes shifted up to look at Miroku, "Like what?"

"Edgy, depressed…annoying." The monk replied. 

The hanyou scowled, "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said." Miroku replied, "Your behavior is different."

"You'd be acting different if you were going through what I am…" Inuyasha mumbled, stuffing his arms into his sleeves and leaving the bewildered monk behind, as he walked back towards the campsite.

*Meanwhile, back at said campsite*

Shippou looked up to Kagome and Sango as they arrived back. He looked as though he was about to cry, "Kagome! Sango!" The small kitsune leapt into Kagome's arms and looked up at her face with wide, green eyes, "I didn't know where you were! I woke up and only Kirara was here. And you and Miroku and Sango and Inuyasha were all gone. And--"

"Shhh…calm down, Shippou-chan. Me and Miroku-sama went looking for Inuyasha and Sango-chan when they didn't come back last night. We didn't think you'd wake up so fast." Kagome said soothingly, trying to calm the kitsune down. 

After a few minutes, Shippou was finally calmed down. He then looked around, noticing for the first time that Miroku and Inuyasha weren't there. "If you went and got Sango and Inuyasha, then where's Inuyasha? And Miroku?"

"Ano…" The young miko looked around, then looked to Sango, hoping the slayer had some sort of explanation. But Sango was just as confused. "I'm not sure, Shippou-chan. I guess they stayed behind…"

"Shippou?" Sango spoke up, "Why don't you go find Inuyasha and Houshi-sama, while me and Kagome-chan start cooking?"

Shippou looked at Sango, then looked to Kagome. Kagome nodded, so Shippou nodded as well, "Okay." With that, he jumped from Kagome's arms and ran in the direction of Inuyasha and Miroku. 

Kagome then looked at Sango, "Sango-chan? We're friends, right?"

The taijiya nodded, "Of course we are, Kagome-chan."

"Then why won't you tell me what happened between you and Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. 

"Between us?" Sango blinked, "Nothing happened between us. I mean…we talked. Then this morning we talked a bit more…And then we…And then we heard you and Houshi-sama calling." She turned and kneeled next to the fire that had long since died down, and began putting more sticks on it, hoping to restart it again, "That's all."

Kagome sighed. There was something Sango wasn't telling her, she knew it. But for now, she wouldn't press the matter. She kneeled next to Sango to help her with the fire. "Ok, Sango-chan. Lets just hope that Shippou-chan can find--"

"ITAI!!!"

"DROP IT!!"

And seconds later, Shippou ran back into the camp area. The young kitsune ran straight to Kagome and clutched onto her skirt. He looked up at the two women and pointed in the direction he had just come from, "Inuyasha hit me! I-I just asked him why he was gone all night and he hit me!"

"Inuyasha…" Kagome shook her head, and rubbed Shippou's back a little. "I'll go talk to him…"

But that's when Sango stood up, "Let me talk to him." And without waiting for Kagome's response, she jogged in Inuyasha's direction.

AN: A talk. Hmm…wonder how that will turn out ^-^ Oh, and by the way, 'itai' means 'ouch'. Just so you know. And I forgot to say this earlier but, thanks for all the reviews ^-^


	6. Talking Together

"Eh…Sango-chan?" Kagome called after her friend, but Sango was already gone. 

Shippou looked up at Kagome, "Why did she go?"

Kagome looked down to the kitsune and shook her head, "I don't know, Shippou-chan. But…something's going on between those two…"

Shippou tilted his head to the side a bit, "What do you mean?"

"Ah, nothing, nothing. You'll understand when you're older." The miko replied with a slight laugh.

*Elsewhere*

Inuyasha crossed his arms and began mumbling several things under his breath, "Baka…why can't they just leave me alone. Its not like I sat down and planned all this. I mean…sheesh…" Looking up, his ears twitched slightly as he stopped walking. He knew who it was long before she came into sight. But he acted as though he hadn't seen nor heard her.

"Inuyasha?" Sango asked, confirming his thoughts as to who it was coming for him.

The hanyou turned his head slightly, enough to see her, "What?"

She moved closer to him, "We need to talk."

"About what?" He asked, closing his eyes.

"About…everything." She replied.

He shrugged slightly, "What do you mean by everything?"

She frowned. Was this just some game to him? "You, me, what happened earlier, everything!"

Inuyasha turned his head away, feigning annoyance, "I don't know what you mean, Sango."

The taijiya grabbed a hold of the beads of the rosary around his neck and tugged on them harshly, forcing him to look at her again, "You know damn well what I mean!"

Okay…now she was mad. But he wasn't ready to give in yet. "No, I don't! Now would you mind letting go?"

Sango narrowed her eyes slightly and kept her hold on his rosary, "Is this all some kind of game, Inuyasha? You get all…all emotional, and everything just to deny it later?"

"Keh!" The hanyou said, looking at her, "I don't see you running to tell Miroku or Kagome about it."

"Eh…well…That's because…" She trailed off, as the look of anger disappeared. She loosened her hold on the rosary and began to nervously toy with the beads, "I wanted to talk to you first."

"Well I'm here. Let's talk." He replied. 

"I _tried._" She replied, letting go of the rosary and turning around, "I tried to talk, but you kept denying everything. Ugh! I was such an idiot to think that I actually car--" She stopped suddenly and clasped her hand over her mouth, surprised at what she was about to say. 

And Inuyasha was equally surprised. Though he wasn't one hundred percent sure about what she was going to say, he had a pretty good idea, "That you…what, Sango?" He asked quietly, stepping closer to her.

The taijiya shook her head, letting her arms fall back to her sides, "N…nothing. I was just talking, that's all." She turned to face him and smiled slightly, "So, just forget it, okay?"

His eyebrow twitched, and then, a mischievous grin slowly crossed his face, "Forget it, huh?" 

He took a step towards her, only to see her take a step back. But even as she did so, she held that sweet smile on her face. He too, kept that grin on his own face as he took a few more steps towards her. And she, much like he expected, stepped back yet again. 

She nearly choked when she felt herself back against a tree. But she quickly shook off the slight surprise, "Hai! Forget it."

The hanyou's grin only widened as she trapped herself. And, to make sure she didn't leave, Inuyasha stood directly in front of her and rested his hands against the tree, placing an arm on either side of her, "Why should I just forget it when you clearly were about to say something?"

__

'He's close…so close…too close…' Sango thought frantically as she ducked under one of his arms in an attempt to put some distance between them. But that only resulted in him grabbing her wrist, preventing her from going anywhere. Slowly, she turned her head to look at him again, "Ano…because…Because you were clearly able to forget about what happened earlier. So forget about that too!" 

"I never said I forgot." He replied, his tone suddenly serious. 

"Then why…" She began slowly, "Why deny everything? Is this…only a game to you?" She hoped against everything that he would say no. '_Please…Please say this is more than a game…Inuyasha, say this is more than just a cruel, heart breaking game. Wait…heart breaking? What does that have to do with anything. I'm not going to be heart broken if he says yes. Then…why did I start to say I care about him?' _The taijiya blinked. Somehow, thinking it had been more surprising than saying it. Or, partially saying it. _'I…care about him? I care about…Inuyasha?'_ She looked up to his face, with that very thought running through her mind. She realized she hadn't even heard a word he had said, but he was shaking his head, so she could only assume he had answered 'no' to her question. But she needed to know for sure.

"Inuyasha…" She interrupted his talking. Then, closing her eyes, she continued, "This isn't a game…right? Please tell me that is not."

"Of course its not." The hanyou replied, "Sango, I would never do that to you. Why would you think that?"

She shook her head slightly, "I don't know…You were just pretending that nothing happened. And I…That made me really mad because…" She looked at him again, "Because it hurt, Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha was surprised, to say the least, "I…I didn't…" He stammered, trying to form some words. Finally, he gave up on that and just sank to the ground. But, because he was still holding on to Sango's wrist, he ended up pulling her down as well. 

The taijiya gave a startled gasp as she fell to her knees. She looked at Inuyasha, and was equally surprised by his facial expression. He looked…confused, surprised, and…sad, all in one. And that certainly wasn't an expression seen on his face often. "Eh…Inuyasha? Are you okay?"

He didn't look at her directly but he replied, "I never meant to hurt you. I was just…I didn't…I…" And once again, he was at a loss for words. 

Sango placed her free hand on top of Inuyasha's, "Its…all right. I'm just glad that what happened wasn't…fake." She said, blushing slightly.

Golden eyes looked to their hands, then slowly lifted to look at Sango's face. And without thinking the hanyou automatically replied, "Me too. I wouldn't want it any other way." And then the impact of what he said hit. _'What am I saying? I'm talking to Sango! My battle partner. My ally. My-- When did I start referring to her as mine?' _He asked himself, suddenly realizing that he had been saying 'my' instead of just 'a'. _'But, if she's only my---er, an ally, then why did I start to say something earlier? If she's only a battle partner, why did I hate the fact that I had hurt her so much? If there's nothing more than that…why do I feel like I did when I was around Kikyou?'_

Silence.

"Sango…" Inuyasha began. So maybe he didn't understand exactly what it was about the slayer that made him fell like this. And maybe he didn't know exactly why he wanted to say it. But he knew one thing; he wanted her to know how he felt.

The taijiya looked at him expectantly. She was beginning to feel the same way she had felt that morning when he had said her name. And she wanted nothing more than to know what it was he was wanting to tell her. So, she responded in the same way she had earlier, "Hai?" She questioned softly, unconsciously leaning closer to him. 

She was close…He would've had to be some sort of idiot to **not** notice how close she was. Usually being so close to someone bothered him. But with Sango, it felt…natural, "Sango…I want…I want you to know that…I…"

A twig snapped suddenly.

Both Inuyasha and Sango quickly turned to see who or what had made the noise, only to see Miroku.

The wind ruffled their clothes and hair, yet still, they were unmoving. 

Finally, Inuyasha and Sango looked at each other again, then quickly jumped to their feet and stood apart from each other. 

Sango clasped her hands behind her back and tried, unsuccessfully, to keep the blush from rising to her face, "Houshi-sama…wh-what are you doing here?"

The monk seemed to be as surprised about stumbling upon the two as they did about being stumbled upon, "Well…I was on my way back to the campsite, when I heard talking. I decided to see who was talking and…here I am."

"So you were eavesdropping?" Inuyasha asked.

Miroku crossed his arms, "Why Inuyasha, how could you accuse me of such a thing?"

"Keh!" The hanyou spat, "Quit playing innocent and just admit it!"

"I-if you don't mind…I think I'm going to go back to Kagome-chan and help her." Sango said, turning and hurrying back to the camp.

Inuyasha watched her leave then turned to Miroku and glared at him.

And Miroku was just glad, and lucky, that looks couldn't kill. If they could…well, he would've been dead ten times over.

Inuyasha muttered a quick, "Baka Houshi!" Before returning to the camp himself. 

Miroku followed silently behind.

~*~

AN: So, question is: Will these two EVER get a break? The answer is: You'll just have to wait ^-^


	7. Buzzing Around Camp

The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully. There were a few shared glanced between Inuyasha and Sango, but other than that, the two didn't talk much. And, when he wasn't doing anything else, Inuyasha would occasionally send a growl in Miroku's direction. 

Shippou was oblivious to what was going on. Kagome still believed something was going on that she didn't know about. And it was driving her crazy. The school girl had tried talking to Miroku to see why Inuyasha seemed so mad at him, but the monk wouldn't say much. He would just smile and say, "Inuyasha's only being Inuyasha, Kagome-sama. Do not worry." But that only made her worry more...

Sighing, Kagome turned back to Shippou, who was playing with Kirara at the moment. Inuyasha was sitting in a tree, just watching everyone. Miroku seemed to be meditating nearby. And Sango was cleaning her hiraikotsu. 

While everyone was doing their own thing, the forest suddenly grew eerily quiet. Kirara looked up, her fur bristling a bit. 

"Houshi-sama." Sango said quietly, her eyes turning to look at the monk. 

Miroku nodded, already knowing what Sango knew. He stood up and looked into the darkening forest. 

Kagome looked over to Sango, "What is it?"

"Demons." Inuyasha said simply, jumping down from the tree, "They're coming..."

Then, as if confirming everything, a bunch of demons came into view. 

Inuyasha smirked, "Heh. Things have been too quiet lately. I was getting rusty. Sankon Tetsusou!" He called, slicing through on of the demons.

"Kitsune bi!" Shippou said, hitting some of the demons with the blue flames. 

Since the young kitsune's attacks were more like tricks, than actual attacks, Kagome prepared to fire an arrow at the demons. Once Shippou's fox-fire distracted them, she released the arrow. The arrow was engulfed in purple light as it flew through the air, before hitting the demon targets.

Sango stood, and prepared to throw her hiraikotsu. But before she could, a buzzing caught her attention. Without hesitation, the taijiya spun around and swung her boomerang-like weapon, slicing through a saimyoushou. "Saimyoushou?!" She gasped, surprised about seeing the poison insect. Then, hearing more buzzing, she looked up to see another of the poison insects looking at her. It stayed there for a few seconds, before flying off. "Naraku..." Sango murmured, narrowing her eyes. Then, looking over her shoulder she called, "Kirara!"

The fire-cat looked up from her fighting, then ran towards her mistress. As she passed Sango, the slayer jumped onto her back. And without needing instructions, Kirara took off after the saimyoushou.

But that wasn't before Inuyasha saw, "Sango?" He looked over at Miroku, Kagome, and Shippou. They could take care of these lesser demons. So, the hanyou ran after Sango and Kirara, "Sango, matte!!"

"Eh...Inuyasha! Where are you going?!" Kagome called after him. But Inuyasha was already gone.

Miroku glanced over at the young miko, "Leave him be, Kagome-sama. He'll be all right."

Kagome frowned, but nodded slightly, before turning back to the demons and shooting another arrow.

*Meanwhile*

"Matte, Sango!" Inuyasha shouted, jumping and grabbing a hold of the taijiya's arm.

Sango looked at him for a few seconds, before turning back to Kirara, "Down, Kirara."

As Kirara landed on the ground again, Sango slid off and jerked her arm away from Inuyasha, "I have to go, Inuyasha!"

"You can't go! Not, alone. This is obviously a trap set up by Naraku!" The hanyou replied.

"I know that." Sango said simply, "But what other choice do I have? I have to do this alone. For Kohaku...For my father...For my village. You can't understand, but this is something I must do."

"I do understand, Sango. And you're not the only one who wants to kill Naraku to avenge someone else." Inuyasha retorted, "Besides, last time you fought against him alone, you nearly got yourself killed! I don't...I don't want to see that happen again."

The taijiya looked down slightly, "I won't get killed, Inuyasha. Back then, I didn't know anything about Naraku. But now...I know what he's like. I know more about his tricks, and the way he fights. I promise you, nothing will happen to me."

Inuyasha shook his head, "That's not good enough! You can't say that you will or won't be killed! I'm not letting you go alone. If you're going, then I'm going."

"I'm not going to ask you to understand why I need to do this...But there is one thing I need to ask of you..." She stepped closer to the hanyou and looked up at him, "Inuyasha...please don't hate me." And as soon as she had said those words, she threw one of the poison gas bombs on the ground.

Because he hadn't been expecting it, Inuyasha was unable to get out of the gas' reach in time to grab her again. He jumped back, covering his nose and mouth, but by that time Sango was already gone. "Sango...Damn it!!" He then turned and ran back towards the others.

*Back with Kagome, Miroku, and Shippou*

"Kazaana!" Miroku yelled, as the few remaining demons were sucked into the air-rip on his hand.

"Ha! Well done, Miroku-sama!" Kagome said happily, as he wrapped the prayer beads around his hand once more, sealing his curse. "Now...where'd Sango-chan and Inuyasha go?"

"Sango's gone."

The three others turned to look at the hanyou as he returned. "What do you mean gone?" Kagome asked worriedly.

Inuyasha rubbed his nose, trying to rid his senses of the gas' smell, "Just what I said! I went after her when she ran away. I had her...then she threw one of her poison gas bombs. Her scent was covered up. But if we go in the direction that she went, I should be able to pick it up again. So are you coming or what?"

Kagome and Miroku looked at each other, then nodded and turned to Inuyasha, waiting for him to tell them which way to go.

Shippou, on the other hand, was a bit more vocal in his response, "Of course we're coming, you baka! Let's go!"

The hanyou decided to let Shippou's comment slide this time. He had more important things to tend to than the young kitsune, "Come on then!"

~*~

AN: Uh-oh...Sango went off alone... What will happen next? Stay tuned to find out ^-^ Also, 'matte' means 'wait' or 'stop.


	8. Sango versus Naraku

__

'I know I shouldn't have done that to Inuyasha...but what choice did I have?' Sango asked herself, as she followed the saimyoushou in hopes that it would lead her to Naraku. _'I just hope he will be able to forgive me...'_

Before long, a barrier became visible. The taijiya narrowed her eyes slightly and tightened her hold on hiraikotsu, "Be careful, Kirara. If we pass through the barrier without any trouble, it means Naraku's expecting us. So...be careful."

The fire-cat growled, understanding. And once they arrived at the barrier, they were able to pass easily. Then, straight ahead, was Naraku's castle. 

__

'Ane-ue...I'm scared...'

'Its ok...I'm here...'

'That was not Kohaku!'

'I will kill that boy along with Naraku!'

'No way...there is no way I can kill you. I can't do it. Kohaku...'

'I'll kill you and then myself! That's the only way I can free you from Naraku! Forgive me, Kohaku!'

'M-make it...stop...Ane-ue...I'm s-scared...'

'I'm sorry...Kohaku. I'm so sorry...He won't hurt you anymore. He's not going to hurt you anymore...Kohaku'

The taijiya frowned as she looked ahead at the castle. She couldn't afford to loose her concentration here, "Naraku...I won't forgive you..."

It wasn't long before Sango and Kirara were in the courtyard of the castle. The neko landed on the ground, as Sango got off her, "Naraku! Where are you?"

As if on cue, Naraku appeared in the doorway, a mocking smile on his face, "Sango, have you come here all by yourself?"

"This is between you and me! You'll pay for what you did to Kohaku!" Sango said. Her words were laced with all the pain, sorrow, and anger she had felt ever since that fateful night so long ago. Those feeling she had kept hidden deep inside her...those feelings she had tried to hide from her friends.

Naraku just laughed, a chilling laugh, "Is that what this is about? It doesn't have to be this way, Sango. I could easily bring Kohaku back again, for a price of course. Work with me, and I'll make it so you and your little brother can be together forever."

The slayer clenched her hand into a fist, glaring at him, "I would never make Kohaku live through that again! And I'd rather die than ever work for you, you bastard!" She screamed, running towards him.

All signs of amusement disappeared from Naraku's face, as he stared straight at Sango, just waiting for her to attack, "That can be arranged, dear Sango. That can easily be arranged."

*Back with the others*

"Inuyasha, have you found her scent yet?" Shippou asked, glancing over to the hanyou from his spot on Miroku.

Inuyasha snorted, "Where do you think I'm going?!"

"Look!" Kagome shouted, interrupting the hanyou and kitsune as she pointed ahead of them.

Inuyasha growled as he stopped running, "We don't have time for this!"

A large number of demons, plus some saimyoushou, stood before them. Apparently, they had been sent to keep them busy while Naraku had Sango.

"Inuyasha! Go ahead and go find Sango. Kagome-sama, Shippou, and I can handle these demons." Miroku said, as he prepared for the coming fight.

The hanyou looked at him, "Are you sure?" He was worried about Sango, but he wanted to make sure the others would be fine as well.

"Hai, we'll be ok." Kagome said, speaking for Miroku and Shippou as well as herself, "You go get Sango-chan."

Inuyasha nodded shortly, "Right then. Be careful!" And with that, he was off, _'Sango...wait for me!'_

Any demons that tried to follow after him were either shot by an arrow, purified by ofuda scrolls, or hit with fox-fire.

*Back to Sango and Naraku*

Hiraikotsu had been discarded as Sango chose to fight with her katana instead. 

Naraku kept jumping back with Sango's every swing, the blade narrowly missing his body each time.

Sango lunged towards him and slashed, hoping that her katana would hit its target. But Naraku ducked then, before she had a chance to counter, he grabbed her wrist, causing her to drop the katana. He smirked as he kicked her legs out from under her and pinned her to the ground, "What's the matter, Sango? You seem to be distracted. Reconsidering my offer?" He asked, releasing his hold on her wrist.

"Never!" She replied angrily with fire showing in her eyes, "I'll make it so you can never manipulate anyone again!" Then, in a quick motion, the arm-blade extended from beneath her armor, and she slashed Naraku across the chest.

He looked genuinely surprised for a moment. And then a menacing smile crosses his face, "I expected better from a slayer." He said simply. And before Sango could realize what he meant, a cloud of shouki came out of the wound on his chest. 

Sango's eyes widened slightly as she tried desperately to cover her nose and mouth from the poison vapors, since her exterminators mask had long since been knocked aside. But it was no use; she had been too close. She coughed and took a strangled breath, "Y-you bastard..."

Naraku only laughed, intending to rely to her comment. But before he could, he was hit by something, and fell back, away from Sango.

Kirara stood between Naraku and her mistress, growling. Her crimson eyes narrowed as her ears went flat against her head. The neko gave Naraku a deadly gaze, daring him to take one step towards Sango.

Naraku regarded the fire-cat briefly, before turning his head slightly to look into the surrounding forest. He looked back to Kirara and Sango, "It seems Inuyasha is on his way here. But it doesn't matter. She will die soon anyway." With one final laugh, he disappeared in another cloud of shouki.

Inuyasha arrived a moment later. His golden eyes quickly scanned the area for Sango. And, just as quick, he saw her lying on the ground with Kirara by her side, "Sango!" She wasn't moving, when he reached her. The smell of Naraku's shouki still hung thickly in the air and, being a hanyou, he could handle it. But, apparently, Sango was another story... "Sango! Sango!" He repeated her name several times as he lifted her into his arms.

Her dark eyes finally opened again, hearing his voice. "Inu...yasha..." She said quietly, with the hint of a smile on her lips, "You...you're here."

"Baka, of course I'm here." He replied, glad that she was talking. But he knew she would need some medical herbs for her to be well again, "Hold on. The others aren't too far away. Lets go, Kirara!" He called back to the fire-cat.

Sango shook her head slightly, "I'm sorry...I should've... listened to you...Inuyasha..."

"Don't apologize Sango." The hanyou said, as he began to run back towards the others, "But remember that next time you want to fight someone alone."

"If there is a next time..." She whispered, letting her head rest against his chest as she closed her eyes once again.

It may have been a whisper, but Inuyasha's sensitive ears easily heard it. He stopped instantly, looking down at the exterminator in his arms, "What?! Don't say that! Sango! Sango, open your eyes!"

She did as he asked, though her vision was beginning to become blurred.

"Don't you dare say anything like that!" Inuyasha said, once she was looking at him again, "Nothing is going to happen to you. You're going to be just fine!"

The taijiya was silent for a moment, before speaking again, "I'm glad for one thing though..." She reached up shakily, placing her hand on his cheek, "At least...y-your face will be...the last...thing I s-see...Inu..." Without being able to finish his name, she slipped into unconsciousness as her eyes closed and her hand fell away from his face.

"S...Sango?" He asked, his voice surprisingly quiet. "Sango, no...don't...don't do this..." His knees started to give away, and he sank slowly to the ground, holding her close to him. "Don't do this to me...Please don't..." He shut his eyes tightly, "You promised!!"

AN: What a way to end a chapter, ne? What will happen to Sango? Will she ultimately break her promise? Just wait and see...


	9. The Sleeping Beauty

__

'I won't get killed, Inuyasha. Back then, I didn't know anything about Naraku. But now...I know what he's like. I know more about his tricks, and the way he fights. I promise you, nothing will happen to me.'

Those words continued to echo through Inuyasha's mind as he impatiently paced outside the hut. 

After he had nearly collapsed, with Sango in his arms, Kirara had taken it upon herself to go and get Miroku, Kagome, and Shippou. The hanyou had remained with Sango, clutching the slayer to his chest as he waited for them to arrive. He had called her name several times, yet she never responded. And it seemed to take hours for the others to finally reach them.

They had gone near Kaede's village and called upon the elderly woman to help. Once she arrived, both her and Kagome had chased Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippou out of the hut while they examined the taijiya; seeing what kind of herbs she would require to get better. And though Kaede had mentioned it, Inuyasha refused to even think about the 'what ifs'...

"Inuyasha, would you stop pacing? You're making me dizzy..." Shippou complained as he rubbed his eyes.

The hanyou glanced over to the kitsune and growled. 

Shippou jumped behind Miroku and peeked out at Inuyasha, "...k-kowai..."

About that time, Kagome walked out of the hut. Sighing, she combed her fingers through her hair and looked at the boys, "Kaede-obasan doesn't have what we need...She said Sango-chan will probably be ok though...But it'd really help if we had this herb." The school girl sighed again, "I can think of only one person who could help us. Jinenji..." She looked straight at Inuyasha, hopefully.

Inuyasha, however, just scowled and turned his back to her, "Take Kirara. I'm not leaving."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome started to protest.

"You'll get there faster with her!" The hanyou cut in, still not looking at her, "I'm staying here and that's that!"

"But..." The young miko tried to think of something that would get him to take her, "...But what about the Shikon no kakera? Demons might try to attack me since I have a couple with me."

Inuyasha turned around and motioned towards Miroku, "He can go with you."

"But, Inuyasha..." Kagome once again tried to protest.

And this time it was Miroku who interfered, "Let's go, Kagome-sama. The more time we argue about this, the less time we have to help Sango."

Kagome started to say something, but stopped and looked down, feeling guilty. Sango was sick, and here she was getting jealous because Inuyasha wanted to stay with her. The taijiya had never let her down, so Kagome wasn't about to let her down either. The school girl looked back up to Miroku and nodded, "Right. Let's go. Shippou-chan, you stay here with Inuyasha and Sango-chan, okay?"

The kitsune shook his head frantically, "Iie! I'm not staying here with him like that! Inuyasha kowai!!"

"Okay, okay, you can come with us then." Kagome said, shaking her head slightly. "Come on, Kirara. Lets go." She called over to the fire-cat.

Kirara looked back at the hut for a moment, then looked at Inuyasha, "Mew." She meowed, before running over to Kagome an transforming to her larger form. And within a few minutes, they were in the air heading for Jinenji's.

Inuyasha watched them until he couldn't see them anymore, then turned and went inside the hut.

Kaede was still there, putting a damp cloth on Sango's head to cool her fever. But hearing someone come in, she looked up to Inuyasha, "Inuyasha? You decided to stay behind?"

"Yeah..." The hanyou replied simply as he sat down, resting his back against one of the walls, "So, how's she doing, Kaede-baba?"

Kaede stood and walked towards the door, "I'm confident that she will be fine, if Kagome can get that herb. But we have you to thank for that. If you hadn't gotten her away from Naraku's poisons, I don't think she would've been able to pull through. It's a good thing you did, Inuyasha." And with that, she left to return to the village, which wasn't that far away. 

Inuyasha watched her leave, then turned to Sango, _'Then why don't I feel good?'_ He asked himself_, 'I should've gotten there faster. I could've held onto her tighter, so she couldn't have run. I could've...I don't know...'_

He continued looking at her, noticing for the first time how frail she looked. Sure, she had been injured pretty badly before. It wasn't long after they met that she was nearly killed by her own brother. But even then, while she rested up, she didn't look like this. Sure, now she had a few scratches and the like, but aside from that, she looked so...fragile. Of course, then, it hadn't been Naraku's shouki that affected her either... And that's what the main difference was. External injuries can easily be tended to and healed. But, in this case, the injury was internal. She had inhaled the poison, and it was affecting her body internally.

Without really thinking about his actions, the hanyou removed the cloth from her forehead and to pat her face with it, "Kagome told me once that if you talk to someone who's sick, they can hear you a lot of times..." He said quietly, replacing the cloth on her head, "I wonder if you can hear me...If so, what were you thinking? Going off to fight Naraku alone like that...You should've let me come with you. But...we'll have plenty of chances to talk about that once you get better...Kagome, Miroku, and Shippou will be back soon, and then...then..." He trailed off and sighed, "I can't do this...Sango, you said nothing would happen. You said you knew how he fought. You said...you said..." Again, the hanyou trailed off.

"Sango..." Unconsciously, Inuyasha began to move closer to Sango, "Come on...You're too stubborn to let Naraku ki...hurt you like this..." He reached out slowly, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face, "You have to be okay...Everyone wants you to be okay...Besides...you promised...You promised me, Sango...You promised that nothing would happen to you. So...you have to live." He leaned closer still, "You have to live...for yourself...for the others...and...for me..." And with those final words, his lips touched hers in a soft and gentle kiss. 

__

'Live for me, Sango...'

AN: Short chapter...Bah! Anyways, there you go, he finally kissed her. Ah, so she was unconscious, a kiss is a kiss, ne? Anyways, next chapter coming soon. Ja!

'Iie' = 'No'

'Kowai' = 'Scary'


	10. Awakening Sango, Embarrassed Inuyasha

__

'I...I kissed her...?' Inuyasha asked himself, surprised. He blinked, and looked at Sango_. 'Why...?' _He moved away from her, moving back until his back was against the wall. The confused hanyou swallowed nervously as he continued to look at her. He couldn't answer his own question. He wasn't sure why he had kissed her. At the moment, he was sure of only one thing...he wanted her to live.

__

'Inuyasha...please don't hate me.'

"Sango, you baka...how could I hate you?" He whispered as Sango's words flashed in his mind, "I could never..." Without thinking, he leaned forward slightly and reached out a hand. But he quickly drew his hand back and leaned back again, shaking his head slightly. _'Snap out of it! She'll be fine. Kaede-baba said so. Kagome and the others will be back soon with that herb and everything will be fine.' _He told himself. Shutting his eyes, he stuffed his arms into the sleeves of his haori and sighed, before forcing himself to get a little sleep.

Slowly, sounds began to become audible to the sleeping hanyou. Scurrying of feet, and murmurings of voices were the only things he heard right away. But slowly, the voices became clearer.

"So, are you okay now?" Shippou asked, sounding worried, yet slightly relieved.

"Hai...I'm just..." Sango started quietly.

"You're just...what?" Kagome asked, once Sango didn't finish.

"Just sore. My body aches all over...I feel like I fought against some giant demon and lost..." The taijiya replied.

"In a way...you did, Sango-chan." Kagome said, though anyone could tell she was glad that her friend was all right.

Then, Miroku spoke up, "Sango, I could give you a massage to help ease your pain, if you'd like."

"I don't think so, Houshi-sama." Sango said.

And that's when Inuyasha let the others know he was awake, "Keep your hands away from her you perverted houshi!" He growled, as opened his eyes and sent a warning glace to Miroku.

Miroku laughed slightly and held his hands up in a defensive gesture, "Of course, Inuyasha."

Satisfied, Inuyasha looked away from the monk, and looked at Sango.

"Sleep well, Inuyasha?" The slayer asked, with a slight smile.

The hanyou looked to the side, trying to keep the blush from rising to his face as he remembered kissing her, "Yeah, sure...Could ask you the same thing." He muttered. He then looked at Kagome, "So, you guys are finally back? Is Sango going to be okay now? And how long have you been back?"

Kagome nodded slightly, "Hai, Sango-chan will be just fine now. We've been back for a few hours now. Sango-chan just woke up a little bit ago. But we didn't want to wake you." The schoolgirl turned back to Sango, "But we were scared there for a while. When we found you with Inuyasha, you looked so...you looked...We weren't sure what to think." She said, unable to bring herself to say that they thought Sango looked dead.

Sango smiled, "I probably looked terrible, ne, Kagome-chan?" The taijiya laughed a bit, "I know what Naraku's poisons can do to someone...But, you didn't need to worry." She paused, and looked to Inuyasha before continuing, "I'm too stubborn to let Naraku kill me."

Inuyasha nearly choked as he stared, wide-eyed, at Sango, "N-n...nani?!"

The slayer smiled innocently, before shaking her head slightly, "Just something I've heard people say about me."

"Inuyasha, what's the matter with you?" Kagome asked curiously, looking at the hanyou.

"N-nothing!" Inuyasha stammered, standing up, "I need...some air." He turned, hurrying towards the door. Unfortunately, he hurried a little too quickly, and he ended up running into the wall. The hanyou staggered back, tripped over Shippou, and fell down again. Looking over to the others he gave a nervous laugh, before jumping up and running outside before anyone could say anything.

The moment he was outside, the others laughed, "Seriously, what is wrong with him?" Kagome asked, trying, unsuccessfully, to stop laughing.

Shippou shook his head and rolled onto his back, holding his sides, "I-I don't know!" He laughed, "I knew Inuyasha would loose it one day!"

"Or maybe he's just found something..." Miroku stated quietly, glancing to Sango. But Kagome and Shippou were to busy laughing to hear.

However, Sango heard him, and she saw the look he gave her, "Ano...what do you mean, Houshi-sama?" She whispered, leaning closer to the monk so only he could hear her.

"I think you know exactly what I mean, Sango." He replied. Then, he motioned towards the door, "You should talk to him. I think he deserves that."

The taijiya blushed slightly but nodded, "Houshi-sama...thank you." Then, turning to Kagome and Shippou, whose laughter was just now dying down, she said, "I think I'll go make sure Inuyasha's all right."

The young miko wiped away a few tears, caused by her laughing, and nodded, "Okay, Sango-chan. Do you need help getting outside?"

"I think I can manage on my own. But thanks anyway, Kagome-chan." Sango said. And with that, she stood up slowly, and walked shakily to the door.

AN: Sorry about taking so long on this chapter, had a case of writers-block. But, hope you enjoy it - This story's wrapping up, so expected 1-2 more chapters before it ends. But, be sure to read the sequel I have planned! As of now, it's untitled. Hopefully I'll have a title by the time this story is finished. Ja!

'Nani' = 'What?'


	11. Confessing Ones Feelings, Finally

"Inuyasha?" Sango asked quietly, as she looked outside. "Inuyasha, where are you?" There was no response. The taijiya frowned slightly. It had only been a moment, separating when he left and when she left, and yet he was already gone. "Inuyasha..." She murmured quietly, as her dark eyes scanned the area, looking for any sign of her hanyou companion.

"Mew?"

Sango jumped at the sudden sound, and looked down to see Kirara by her side.

The little neko looked up at the slayer, her large crimson eyes holding curiosity deep within them. Kirara tilted her head to the side slightly, then looked into the darkening forest. Turning to look at Sango once more, she mewed again.

"What's wrong, Kirara?" The taijiya asked, holding her arms out, indicating for Kirara to jump to her. And Kirara did just that; she jumped into Sango's waiting arms and nuzzled against her neck, mewing again. "What's wrong? Are you wondering where Inuyasha went, too?" Sango asked, scratching the feline behind her ears.

Kirara purred, then jumped to the ground again. The fire-cat then ran towards the trees, turned back to Sango, turned around in a circle, and mewed.

The taijiya blinked, "Kirara? What is it?" She took a few shaky steps towards the neko, "You know where Inuyasha is?" As she reached where Kirara was, she began to hear a faint voice. She couldn't make out who it was or what was being said, but the taijiya was pretty sure it was Inuyasha.

Kirara mewed and smiled a feline-type smile, glad that her mistress was finally catching on to what she was saying. She ran a few more feet into the forest, and turned to Sango once again.

"Okay, Kirara, I see what you're telling me. Inuyasha's in this direction, ne? Thank you." Sango said, smiling. She continued, at a slow pace, in the direction that Kirara was leading her, hoping to find Inuyasha soon. "You can go back to Kagome-chan and the others now, if you want. I think I'll be able to find Inuyasha on my own now."

The fire-cat looked at Sango silently for a moment, seemingly contemplating whether or not to leave. Finally, Kirara turned, and bounded back to the hut where Shippou, Miroku, and Kagome were.

Sango smiled, watching as her feline companion disappeared, before turning back towards the voice, which was getting louder.

Inuyasha, meanwhile, was oblivious to the fact that anyone was searching for him. _'What the hell happened back there?'_ He asked himself, _'She didn't know...She couldn't have known! What she said was...it was just a coincidence. It didn't mean anything.'_ He looked up at the night sky briefly, before sighing and looking at the ground again, "But if it didn't mean anything then why do I feel like this? If it didn't mean anything, then why did I kiss her in the first place? If it meant nothing then why...Why do I want her to know?"

"Want who to know what, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou jumped and spun around to find Sango. He stumbled back a few steps, but quickly regained his normal composure, "Sango! What the hell?! Don't do that! Jeez..."

Sango laughed a little and smiled, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Keh! Who said anything about scaring me? You just...surprised me." Inuyasha replied, crossing his arms, "What are you doing out here anyway?"

The taijiya shrugged slightly, and leaned back against a tree, "You left so quickly...I just wanted to make sure everything was alright. I hope I didn't say anything to upset you..."

"Why...would you think that?" He asked, glancing at her, "Is it wrong to just want to be alone for a few minutes? Jeez...after spending all day cooped up watching you, anyone would want a few minutes of fresh air." He said, not really thinking about it beforehand. But as he turned to look at Sango again, he instantly regretted his choice of words.

She looked at him, her face not really showing any sadness. But her eyes were filled with that emotion. She looked down after a moment, "I...Am I really a burden to you, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou crossed his arms and looked away, mumbling something that Sango couldn't make out. When asked to repeat himself, he glanced at her and spoke a little louder, "I said...er...noofcoursenot."

"Eh..." Sango closed her eyes for a moment, repeating what he had said in her mind. After a moment, she seemingly figured out what he had said, though he had said it in a rush, "Well, I'm glad to hear that...I think. But, if you want to be alone, I'll go back to Houshi-sama, Kagome-chan, and Shippou." She smiled at her hanyou companion, then turned to leave.

But Inuyasha caught her wrist before she could leave, "Matte! Don't...don't go."

She turned back to him, tilting her head to the side slightly, "You said you wanted to be alone for a few minutes. I can go back to the others, Inuyasha."

"But...I don't..." He trailed off, not knowing how to finish his statement. He knew what he wanted to say; he wanted to tell her that he didn't want her to leave; that he wanted her by his side. But he wasn't sure what she wanted to do. So, instead of letting the silence between them get too long, he changed the subject, "...Are you doing okay? Kagome said you were fine but, I want to hear you say it."

"I'm fine. A little dizzy now and then, but otherwise fine." The taijiya smiled. Glancing down to his hand, which still held her wrist, she decided to take it one step further, "Besides, I would never break my promise. I told you I would live, and that's just what I plan to do. Even if I hadn't wanted to live for myself, I would've for the others...and you, Inuyasha."

He arched an eyebrow and felt the blush trying to rise to his face. His eyes narrowed in suspicion and he unintentionally pulled her closer to him, "Okay, that's twice now. Sango, were you awake when I...when I said those things to you?"

She smiled and looked at him, "I don't know if 'awake' is the right way to put it. I could hear your voice and I was aware of your presence near me. But I wasn't really awake, so to speak." She replied.

The hanyou shifted his gaze away from her, and let go of her wrist. _'Okay, so she heard what I said. That doesn't mean she knows that I kissed her...right?'_ He glanced to her, then quickly looked away again. He wanted to tell her that he had, in fact, kissed her. But, again, he wasn't sure how she would take it. He was well aware of what happened to Miroku whenever he tried something like that. But...she hadn't done anything like that to him when they had been alone. If anything, she had been acting the same way towards him. Still... he wasn't one to openly discuss his feelings, but for some reason, he wanted her to know more than anything. "She needs to know..." He whispered, without knowing he had even spoke out loud.

"Who needs to know what?" The taijiya asked, slightly confused,

He blinked and looked at her, "Huh? Oh..." He fell silent, trying to find a way to say what he had just been thinking. _'Shit...why did I say that?!'_ Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes momentarily before speaking again, "Sango...I want you to know something..."

"What is it?" She asked, moving closer to the hanyou. All traces of teasing was gone from her voice, she wanted to know what he wanted to say. Though she may not have shown it, it had been on her mind since he had first started to say something after he had comforted her on the night of the new moon.

He was once again silent, only this time it was for a reason. He listened closely to the sounds of the forest, making sure that they wouldn't be interrupted, again, by one of their traveling companions. Satisfied that no one was coming near them, and that there was no immediate danger near, he looked to the taijiya, taking particular notice to how close she had moved to him, "Sango, you once said you would stay with me regardless of what I do once the Shikon no Tama is complete. Is that still true?"

She nodded, "Of course it is. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. You're still with me, even after everything that's happened lately. I know I haven't been the best traveling partner, but you still let me stay with you. I know how you are when you transform into a demon, I know how you are when you become human, and I know how you are when you're just you; in your hanyou form. And whatever you do once you have the jewel, I'll still stay with you."

He smiled slightly, that was what he had wanted to hear. But he still had more to say... "I'm glad to hear that, because...I..." He paused to take a breath, "I want you to stay with me. After we all go our separate ways, once the Jewel is complete, I want you to stay with me." There, he had said it. Funny...it had seemed like it would be much harder to say when he was trying to figure out what to say. But, at the moment, it seemed like the natural thing to say. Now, he just had to await Sango's response.

His golden eyes lifted to look at Sango's face. She looked...surprised. Well, after a confession like that, anyone deserved the right to be surprised. Seconds turned into minutes; the silence between them growing in length. Inuyasha had faced many demons in his life. He had been sealed to a tree by the one who used to care for. And yet he had never been so afraid of silence before now. _'I shouldn't have told her. Dammit! I shouldn't have told her!'_ That phrase repeated itself in his mind several times as the silence continued to lengthen. _'Sango say something, say anything!'_ He silently pleaded, as he closed his eyes and turned his head away.

"I..."

His ears twitched, hearing her voice. Still, he couldn't bring himself to look at her; not without knowing what her answer was. And, lucky for him, he didn't have to wait long.

"Inuyasha, I...I want to stay with you too." She finally said, once the shock of hearing him say that wore off. She had never been so glad to hear anyone say anything, than she was at that moment.

The hanyou's head shot forward as he reopened his eyes, "Y-you do?"

She nodded and smiled at him, "Hai, more than anything!" She said, wrapping her arms around him, giving him a hug.

He let a rare smile spread across his face, as he returned the hug, "I've been waiting a long time to hear you say that, Sango." He said quietly.

They stayed like that for a while, holding on to one another, with only the normal forest sounds around them. Then finally, Sango pulled back slightly. She looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness, "As much as I'd love to stay out here for the rest of the night, I think we should be getting back to the others. We don't want them to start worrying about us."

"Why not?" The hanyou replied, giving the slayer a crooked grin.

She smiled and laughed slightly, "Because, the second Kagome-chan, Houshi-sama, or Shippou come out here, you'd be ready to pounce on them if they surprise you."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow curiously, "What makes you think that?"

"Because," The taijiya began, "A-you hit Shippou when he asked you about what happened that night you stayed with me. And B-you were ready to attack Houshi-sama for interrupting our talk the other day. I don't think they'd appreciate that happening again, Inuyasha."

"Who gives a damn what they want." He muttered, rolling his eyes, "But, if you want to go back, then we'll go back. You should probably rest for a couple days too." He said, mumbling slightly on the last part.

She nodded, and smiled without saying anything more. And with that, the two headed back to the hut where the others were.

"Hmm...I wonder if Kagome-chan and Shippou have settled down yet." Sango said, once they were almost back.

Inuyasha shot her a glance before looking towards the hut again, "You mean from what I did?"

She nodded, "Hai. They thought it was hilarious. I thought it was cute." She said, causing the hanyou's face to redden slightly.

"Well you...you were...Wait, one thing before we go back in there." He said, as he stopped and turned to face her. "Sango, if you knew I was with you the whole time, and you could hear everything I said...Then..." He paused for a moment, and prayed he wouldn't get slapped for this, "Then you know I...I kissed you...right?"

The taijiya looked at him, tilting her head to one side, remaining quiet for a moment. Then, she smiled and reached a hand up, wrapping her fingers around the beads around his neck, "Baka hanyou." She said in an oddly innocent yet sweet voice.

The hanyou gave her a quizzical look as she tugged on the beads, causing him to lean closer to her.

Smiling still, she continued, "Of course I do." That said, she tugged on the beads once more and leaned up, pressing her lips to his.

Golden eyes widened slightly in surprise. But only a couple seconds passed before Inuyasha relaxed again.

She gave him another quick hug before pulling back and smiling. Then silently, she took his hand and walked the rest of the way back to the hut.

He smiled as well, as his eyes drifted to their hands momentarily. Even though they were only a few steps from re-entering the hut, he didn't care if the others saw them holding hands. If Kagome, or Miroku, or even Shippou had a problem with anything then...well, Inuyasha just didn't care.

Sango glanced over at Inuyasha briefly, that smile still on her face. _'I guess I was never really alone, after meeting Inuyasha and the others. They were always with me, through thick and thin. You were always there when I needed you, Inuyasha.'_ She looked ahead again as they were about to enter the hut, _'And I'll always be by your side when you need me, Inuyasha.'_

AN: The end! Finally, I've finished another story! Yay! Okay, okay, I know I didn't write up the others' reactions, but you can imagine that up yourself, ne? Anyways, yes I'm starting on the sequel to this. And, unfortunately, it is still untitled. So, if you liked this story, just be on the lookout for a new story that says 'sequel to Gone' in the summary -;; As always, please review. Ja!


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